Swap Harissa With This Ingredient For A Super-Spicy Shakshuka

Brought to Israel by Jewish North Africans in the 1950s and '60s, shakshuka is a common breakfast dish that has gained popularity all throughout the Middle East and beyond. While incredibly simple to prepare — requiring just a few basic ingredients, including tomatoes, optional bell pepper, onions, garlic, seasonings, and eggs — some recipes for this classic Maghrebi dish call for the addition of another condiment: harissa. Made from a blend of hot peppers, spices, and oil, traditional Tunisian harissa can be found in tubes and cans in Middle Eastern grocers. But, if you're caught craving that signature spice for your shakshuka and it's nowhere to be found, you can easily swap it for fresh chilies.

All shakshuka takes is a quick sauté of the veggies and some time to simmer before cracking the eggs into little wells before everything comes together in one single pan. Adding in the chilies doesn't take away from that either, as they can be sliced and sautéed alongside the onions and garlic before adding in your fire-roasted tomatoes. From there, simply pour in some water and let everything simmer together until thick enough to form wells and add the eggs. Left covered, the eggs will only need a few minutes to cook before you can add any of your desired toppings — feta cheese is popular, along with chopped fresh herbs. Served with crusty sourdough or warm pita, your shakshuka will get just the kick you're craving.

When used as a substitute for the flavors of harissa, you may want to opt for the same chilies used to make the paste in your breakfast shakshuka. But, if this is your goal, research will quickly lead you down a rabbit hole of recipes. The truth is, there are as many variations of harissa as there are people who make it and, in turn, peppers to make it with. Being listed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022, the paste and its many variations are a celebration of the region's culinary history. That's especially true in Tunisia, the first country in Africa to import peppers from Mexico and where the paste originated.

Some harissa recipes will call for one type of pepper, and others three — and that's not even considering the variety of peppers, with some using a combination of fresh, roasted, and sun-dried. All of that is to say that, when it comes to adding chilies to your shakshuka, you aren't limited in options. Serranos, jalapeños, and Fresnos can all be easily found fresh in stores, each resulting in a delicious breakfast with a kick. Calabrian chilies are also a commonly used pepper, and you could also easily opt for adding a bit of cayenne pepper, too. Just note that, when using powders, you miss out on the ability to char the chilies, which lends a nice flavor to the dish.